cityofunion.net
Vicki Morgan
Daniel Prince
Move out of her district stirred controversy
Following an unplanned move out of her district and some controversy that she says has come up because of that on the part of the mayor, some members of council, and some members of the general public, City Councilwoman Vicki Morgan told WBCU News she will resign as of Wednesday, September 1st.
She said according to her research, as long as she still resides in the city, it would still be legal to serve while living out of district, as all votes taken are citywide. She also mentioned that former Councilwoman Orangelow Ruff had been allowed to live outside her district while she was in a healthcare facility and unable to attend meetings for nearly two years, which she stated was a violation that no one addressed.
However, she stated she has always tried to do what is best for the city, and she did not want to fight against the controversy for the remaining three-plus years of her term, so she will step down. She said at the time of her uncontested election in November 2020, she had not planned to move. She now resides in Ricky Todd Harris’s district. When asked if she was thinking of filing to run for that seat when it comes up for election, she stated it was a strong possibility.
In her statement to WBCU News, Morgan told the voters:
audio below story
There appears to be nothing in the city’s municipal code that addresses what happens when a council member moves from one district to another; however, the state code of laws provides that when one member is elected from each ward (district) of the municipality by the qualified electors of the ward, candidates seeking office from a particular ward shall be residents of the ward during their entire terms of office. The Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Handbook for Municipal Officials echoes that language. Following Morgan’s resignation, a special election will need to be held to fill the remainder of her term.